A NEW DAY, ch. 29: Worst Case Scenario
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Set after A NEW BEGINNING. Simon puts the pieces together and the crew find themselves needing to band together against a new enemy. S/K, M/I, R/J
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 3344 RATING: 9.0 (G) SERIES: FIREFLY
A/N: Well, whether for good or ill this chapter will end the debate over "which disease is it?" Enjoy!
Thanks to Leiasky for everything - you know I think you're great!
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A NEW DAY, ch. 29: Worst Case Scenario
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Simon had gathered all the adults in the kitchen even though it was very late. With tired eyes, they all sat at the table, looking to him expectantly. “Well, we’re up,” Jayne said gruffly, stifling a yawn. “What’s so ruttin’ important?”
Taking a deep breath, Simon reached for Kaylee’s hand and she took it gladly. Looking back to his friends, his family, he told them carefully, “I think there’s a very real chance that we have a measles outbreak.”
As everyone continued to look at him with confused and slightly annoyed expressions, Simon continued. “Measles is typically a childhood disease. It’s very contagious and normally not a danger as most children are immunized for it when they’re young.”
Starting to catch on, Mal sat forward and asked, “But?”
“But,” Simon said, his voice growing wearier by the minute. “From what I’ve managed to study from the medical records of my patients here on Aberdeen, I would say that vaccine either isn’t available this far out or just not administered.”
“Meanin’ we could get it?” Mal asked, trying to be sure he fully understood.
Shaking his head once, Simon said, “No, not all of us. Inara, River and I should be fine, we were raised in the Core. We would have received the shot.” Looking to Kaylee’s pained face, he said, “You, Kaylee and Jayne however, probably have not.”
With an audible gasp, Kaylee’s hand flew to her mouth. Turning to face her, Simon lowered his voice and said, “Kaylee, it’ll be all right.”
“The babies,” she murmured to him, her eyes darting up and then back to him. “Are they gonna be okay?”
“Yes,” Simon told her. “Yes, I made sure to immunize them when they were all born, including Mimi. They’ll be fine.”
“Well, thanks for that, doc,” Mal said, his arm wrapped tightly around In
Kanas City Shuffle right? Make us look one way (Jayne and Danny) and then do the other (Who?).
Don't kill Jayne, or Danny, or anyone! Not fair! Youe had to leave that little message at the begining about someone dying so we would dread the ending!
Damn you... (pout)
I want the rest! More!
There seemed to be more typos in this chapter. A few it's that should have been its, and a sure that should have been such. Oh, and your use of gotta is usually not quite right. I realize it's probably part of your writing vernacular/slang, but as one word "gotta" is like "have to" (I gotta go to the store), it's not a substitute for "have a" ("I've got a feeling" as Mal *should* have said in regards to the sex of the baby).
One other thing that niggled. This is the second time you've referred to Daniel and Rylee as "toddlers". I really don't think they qualify as toddlers anymore. You've consistently portrayed them as fairly precocious, mature, wise-beyond-their-years kids - heck, I've known teenagers/young adults who came off as less mature than these two kids!
As stubborn and hardheaded as Mal and Jayne are, I'm *really* surprised they ended up helping and being around all those infected people. They're too damn concerned with being macho and all that other useless junk that will only serve to get them killed. They don't want their wives, who have immunity, to help out, but it's OK for them, both highly at risk? Uh... hypocrisy? Sexism? Misplaced macho chivalric sensibilities? All right, Inara I can understand cause she's pregnant (though Inara's right, that doesn't make her an invalid, activity is encouraged during pregnancy for as long as the woman can comfortably manage - and if there's no underlying problem), but even if she weren't Mal still wouldn't have wanted her to help, the only difference is Inara wouldn't have let herself be out-stubborned if she weren't with child.
Oh, and one other thing. Surrogacy today doesn't cost THAT much. Yes, it's more than most average couples can afford to lay down, and where it gets expensive is if they take care of the surrogate in every way (though most people don't), and it doesn't really require THAT specialized of a doctor, and 500 years in the future techniques would be far improved, less expensive, and I'm surprised Inara doesn't know more. More and more people are doing IVF, surrogacy and the like to get around biological problems etc, and that's only going to increase, especially as women wait till later in life to have kids.
Anyway, I've gone rambling totally off topic. Good chapter!
Go Simon!
~ That seals it, one of them is not going to make it.
“Oh, you don’t have to say that just to be polite. I know she’s too much like Mal for her own good.”
~ Mal, but female and with Inara's good looks? I don't know if the 'verse is ready for that
“Daniel Simon Tam, do not wipe your nose on your sleeve. Who ya think ya are, your Uncle Jayne?”
~ BWAHAHAHAHA !!!!
You can't take the sky from me
The measels...I dunno. If Simon was able to immunize all of his kids and Mimi, it's obvious the vaccine exists. Why can't he get more sent in? He got is somewhere the first time.
Still...the amount of possible switcheroo between Jayne and Daniel and Simon certainly makes the final outcome a lot more exciting to wait for. And I count Daniel in cuz there's still time for him to earn his BDH stripes before an emotionally crushing but heroic death helping to fight off the plague.
BEB
Expect that more than one member of Simon's 'family' is going to get sick from this. And who actually dies is still very much up in the air.
Simon definitely doesn't need any more stress. Man might welcome death after this!
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